Going After Montana
by ImaSupernaturalCSI
Summary: Danny arrived early for work that morning, just in time to see Lindsay thrown from a car onto the sidewalk outside the lab...My first ever fanfic
1. Mornings Suck

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of CSI:NY; they are the property of CBS.**

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**Chapter One: Mornings Suck**

_Mornings suck._

Danny Messer yawned and pushed his glasses up his nose. Not for the first time in the two hours he'd been awake, he wished he had just written up the damn report when Mac had asked him to. Instead, he promised Mac, "First thing tomorrow," to which Mac had responded, "See you at six a.m."

"Right. Six. Got it,' Danny said with a nod…then he saw the look on Mac Taylor's face and realized the head man was not joking. "Mac…seriously?"

"Seriously." Mac tapped his watch, then disappeared out of the lab, his shift done for the night, leaving an annoyed Danny Messer behind.

Danny swore a four-letter blue streak.

"Whoa!" Lindsay Munroe's voice rang out. "That's gotta be a record!"

Danny whirled around. Lindsay was standing there, coat on, her bag slung across her chest. "You got somethin' to say, Montana?" Danny demanded.

"Yeah…you've got an attitude the size of the Rocky Mountains," Lindsay shot back, stunned by Danny's demeanor. "And don't call me Montana, damn it."

Danny took a deep breath to calm his nerves. "Sorry, _Lindsay_," he apologized.

"Rough day or what?" Lindsay asked, slightly less irate.

"Yeah. I'm up to my damn ears in lab reports. I don't want to stay late, 'cause I'm not getting overtime for writing these up. So Mac wants me in at six."

Lindsay winced. "Ouch. That sucks," she said apologetically. "Hey, I'm in at seven. How 'bout I bring breakfast?" she offered. "Like…it might be Egg McMuffins or something, but it'll sort of be food."

Danny considered it. "Sure. Yeah, why not?" He grinned. "It's a date."

Lindsea rolled her eyes. "You wish, Messer." She strode by him and out the front doors.

Danny waved after her, "See you at seven, darling!"

"Shut up!"

Now, less than twelve hours later, Danny stood in the entryway of the New York Crime Lab, waiting for the elevator. He shivered. It was getting to be winter in New York City. Some people said New Yorkers knew nothing of winter…those people didn't have any clue what they were talking about.

The elevator ding mixed in with the sounds of screeching tires. Danny narrowed his eyes in confusion and turned around.

A green Dodge Stratus pulled up outside the lab. Danny saw black marks where the tires had skidded against the pavement. "What the hell?"

The passenger door opened, and someone tumbled out of the car. The Stratus sped off into the New York morning, turned down a side alley, and screeched out of sight.

"Jesus." Danny dropped his shoulder bag in the hall and darted outside. He started down the steps when he froze. His heart stopped.

The someone that had been thrown from the car was wearing Lindsay's jacket.

Danny nearly tripped taking the rest of the stairs two at a time. "_Montana!_"

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	2. We're Her Family

**Chapter Two: We're Her Family**

Danny Messer hit the sidewalk and practically skidded up next to Lindsey Munroe's still form. He checked her pulse. It was there, but it was faint. Her breathing was deep, almost as if she was asleep. Danny snapped his fingers in front of her face. "Lindsey? Montana, talk to me!"

Danny dialed 911 as he surveyed the damage. Lindsey had deep bruising on her face and arms. She had a bloody lip and a cut over her right eye. Danny quickly explained to the 911 dispatcher what the situation was. When he said they'd send an ambulance, Danny hung up. "Lindsey? Lindsey, there's an ambulance coming. Stay with me, okay?"

"Danny?"

Danny heard Mac Taylor's voice. "Mac!" he yelled, near panic. "Mac!"

Mac Taylor came running up to Danny. His eyes widened. "Danny, what the hell happened?" he asked.

"Someone dumped her out of a car!" Danny explained. "There's an ambulance on the way…Mac, look at her…" To his surprise, Danny felt himself biting back tears.

Mac shrugged off his jacket and laid it on top of Lindsey. "Just calm down, Danny. Did you get a look at the car's plates?"

Danny closed his eyes. He pictured _the Stratus coming up to the sidewalk…Lindsey being dumped onto the cement…he was running out to her…the car sped off…_ "I think the first two letters were YJ," he replied. "It was a Dodge Stratus…a green one."

Mac pulled out his cell phone. Now that the situation had somewhat stabilized, he put in a call to Don Flack. "Flack…it's Mac. I know it's early…Lindsey's been in an accident," he explained, not really knowing what else to call it. "The ambulance is coming. I need you to run some plates for me. How fast can you get downtown?" He spoke tersely a few more minutes, then hung up and dialed again.

Danny barely heard Mac speak, barely heard the ambulance pull up. He was numb, and it wasn't from the cold. _God, Montana, just stay with them_…he thought. The paramedics checked her over and put her in the ambulance. Danny started to climb in the back.

"Sir, unless you're family…"

"She's only been in New York six months," Danny said flatly. "We _are_ her family." When the paramedic didn't budge, Danny pulled out his badge. "Come on, buddy," he near-pleaded.

Suddenly, Mac was behind him. "Mac Taylor, NYPD CSI Chief Investigator. Take him with you."

The paramedics finally learned they weren't going to budge. "Fine. Get in."

Danny shot Mac a grateful look and crawled into the cramped back and grabbed Lindsey's hand. "Lindsey? Come on, Montana…just hang in there…"


	3. Fight For Me

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of CSI:NY, they're the property of CBS.**

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**Chapter Three: Fight for Me**

Detective Stella Bonasera strode into the ER, her heels clicking on the tile floor. She stopped at the front reception desk. "Lindsey Munroe?" she asked.

The nurse pointed down the hall. Stella didn't even thank her; just headed down the hall. "Ma'am?" the nurse called. "You can't-"

Stella ignored her. She just held her badge up in the air and faced it backwards so the nurse could see it. Translation: _Oh yes, I can. _She stopped outside one of the rooms. Through the glass she could see the very pale form of Lindsey Munroe on the bed. She was hooked to a heart monitor, and it appeared that she had some stitches over her right eye.

Stella then saw Danny Messer. The young detective was seated in the chair next to Lindsey's bed. His head rested on the bed. One arm was being used for a pillow; the other was firmly gripping Lindsey's hand. It would have been cute, if the situation had been different.

"Danny." Stella came over to him and shook his shoulder, gently. He didn't stir at all.

She bit her lip. She hated to wake him, but she needed information from him. Danny was the sole witness to what had transpired that morning. She shook him again, more firmly. "Danny."

He jerked. "Stella?" he asked. He adjusted his glasses and blinked a few times. "Stella…hi."

"How is she?" Stella asked him.

Danny glanced at Lindsey and had to take a breath. "She's…she's out cold, but she's stable and everything. She doesn't respond to stimuli, though."

Stella kept one hand on his shoulder. "Danny…I need to get a statement from you."

Danny sighed. "I don't know much," he said. "I had to come in early…finish some paperwork. I had just hit the elevator button, when I heard the tires squealing. I looked back, saw Montana get dumped out of the car. They took off down the alley. I checked her vitals, called 911. Mac showed up."

"What time did you leave last night?" Stella asked him.

He blinked. "Um, must've been around seven-seven-thirty, I guess. I'm sorry I can't pinpoint it down better." He felt helpless. Frustrated. He wasn't being much help.

Stella nodded. "Okay."

Danny finally exploded. "Who would _do_ this to Lindsey?" he cried, frustrated. "And I can't help her…she's just lying there…" Emotion finally hit him, and he buried his head in his hands.

Stella pulled up a chair and gave him a hug. "Danny…Lindsey is a fighter. She will get through this just fine. You've given us a place to start. If you hadn't been there, Lindsey would be a lot worse off. You helped save her life, most likely." Stella let go of him and replaced her hand on his shoulder. "You have to stay rational, Danny. You're the only lead we've got."

Danny bit his lip, taking several deep breaths. They weren't helping him to calm down, much. A little. "Okay," he said. He nodded. "Okay."

Stella stood. "I'm going to call Mac."

Danny turned back to Lindsey. "I'll be here."

"Danny. You should come back to the lab," Stella said. "You can't do anything for her sitting here."

Danny looked at Lindsey's face. She could have just been sleeping, if it wasn't for the bruises and stitches. "Stella…I can't just leave her here. Not like this" _Not alone._

"Lindsey would tell you to go find the person that did this," Stella said firmly.

He nodded, he knew she was right. "And Mac would have my badge if I didn't contribute," he said, managing a small smile. He stood up, hesitant. He still held Lindsey's hand.

"I'll be back. And I'll have found the person that did this to you," he swore. "Fight, Montana." He squeezed her hand. Then, as Stella left the room, he whispered, "Fight for me."

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**A/N: As a first time writer, reviews would definitely be appreciated. This story is finished, but I can still make changes and post it all, if you want to keep reading it...By the way, I really like cliffhanger endings...just so you know.**


	4. Coffee

**WOW!!! I'm superpsyched by all the reviews I got! Let me think...you're right, I did spell Lindsey's last name wrong, and yes, I know the chapters are kinda short...but it's a long story. :) THANK YOU! It makes this first time writer superhappy.**

**This chapter is really random, and doesn't do much more than involve Don Flack in the plot. But let's face it, I can't leave the guy out, that would just be WRONG!**

**Brownie points to anyone who gets Flack's movie reference!**

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**Chapter Four: Coffee**

"I don't understand it, Mac," Don Flack said, handing him the list of Dodge Stratus cars with "YJ" in the plate numbers. "Why would they drop her here? In front of the building?"

Mac scanned the list as he replied, "Someone's obviously trying to get our attention."

"Yeah, well, they got it," Danny Messer's voice rang out. Mac and Flack both looked up to see the younger man, flanked by Stella, who was carrying some of Lindsey's things in evidence bags, coming down the hall. Danny stopped next to Flack. "Tell me we got something on the car."

Flack said, "Not really. I've got a list of vehicles that's a page long."

"Any listed have YJ in the first half?" Danny queried.

Flack nodded. "Ten."

"Let's BOLO them," Danny said. "Maybe one of them's a stolen car."

"Danny. Just because they're stolen doesn't mean-" Flack began, but Danny cut him off.

"No, 'cause nobody's gonna beat the hell out of someone and then leave them in the backseat of their car unless it's stolen, 'cause they know we'd trace it back to them!" he said.

"Danny!" Mac sounded stern. "Danny. You want to stay on this case, calm the hell down."

Danny sighed. "Damn it, I just…"

"I know," Mac said. "We're doing all we can."

Danny's stomach growled. It pained him, because he remembered his conversation with Lindsey the night before.

"Lindsey was gonna bring breakfast in when she got here," Danny said. "She had to be in at seven." He sighed. "Looks like I get to finish off a pot of coffee, instead."

"How strong do you want it?" Don Flack asked his friend. "Me, I'm a horseshoe in the pot kinda guy."

"What?" Danny asked, temporarily distracted.

Flack shrugged. "Saw it in a movie once. Guy said they'd toss a horseshoe in the pot. If it stood up straight, the coffee was ready."

"I'm outta horseshoes," Danny said, "but that sounds like the right strength."

Flack nodded. He turned to Mac and Stella. "I'll follow up on those cars for you guys."

"Thanks," Stella said. "I'll help you with that coffee." She followed Flack out of the room, leaving Mac and Danny alone.

Danny collapsed into a chair. "Mac, I'm sorry," he said, apologizing again. "I…I just can't wrap my head around this, y'know? Who would wanna hurt Lindsey?" He seemed to be asking that question a lot, he realized. "Mac, I want this guy."

"And we're gonna get him," Mac replied. "But I need you relaxed, and I need you coherent, and I need you thinking straight."

Danny rubbed his eyes. "I think you just repeated the same word three different times. Where do you want me to start?"

"I want you to go to the break room and drink half a pot of coffee. Then I want you to tell me everything that's happened in the past twenty-four hours. Anything you noticed about Lindsey. Anything about this morning."

Danny stood. "I hope Flack's coffee'll make the whole horse stand up straight," he said. "'Cause I'm gonna need it black and strong."


	5. Suspect on Tape

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of CSI:NY; they belong to CBS.**

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**Chapter Five: Suspect on Tape**

Stella met up with Sheldon Hawkes. She handed him the bags containing Lindsey's things. "Morning."

"Wish it was under better circumstances," Sheldon said, carefully taking the evidence from the bag. "Let's see…Lindsey's coat. Lindsey's bag." He looked at Stella. "Not much to go on," he said.

"I know. But it's all we've got so far," Stella said. She handed him two glass vials. "I pulled fingernail swabs from Lindsey's nails. I'm going to run it through the computer."

"I'll check her bag for prints and her coat for hairs," Sheldon offered.

"Mac's checking the security camera feeds from last night," Stella explained. She checked her watch- 9:00 a.m. "It's gonna be a long day."

Mac sat in the audio/video lab, his eyes glued to the footage from the outside camera. He'd been at it for a good half hour before he finally found something.

Danny had said Lindsey talked to him around seven thirty. The video showed her leaving the building at seven forty-five. She was walking home. Mac watched her exit the building and go down the stairs.

A car pulled up next to the curb. _That's new_, Mac thought. He watched the tape closely now. Someone got out of the car's passenger seat. It was a male. Mac made a mental note to check his physical stats. He watched the new person come up to Lindsey. He appeared to be asking for directions. Mac watched Lindsey point. He seemed to thank her, then turn back for the car. Lindsey turned to leave as well.

Then he turned suddenly, grabbed Lindsey's purse. He wasn't wearing gloves. _Prints!_ Lindsey tore it away from him. He then grabbed her arm. Lindsey reached out and scratched him with her free hand. She caught him right across the nose-_Good for you, Lindsey!-_and tried to run. He was on her, though. He was a good hundred pounds heavier than Lindsey was, and he physically picked her up in a bear hug and dragged her back to the car. He threw her in the back and the door slammed shut. The car sped away.

Mac paused the tape. He called Stella. "Lindsey's got the guy's skin and blood under her nails," he said.

"I swabbed them earlier. I'll get the results in about an hour." Stella replied.

Mac rewound the tape, making notes. The car was the Stratus Danny had seen. The man who grabbed Lindsey was a white male, with blonde hair. He would now be sporting two nice scratches across his face. If Lindsey was 5'8", then this man was a good six-three, at least.

Finally, Mac had to refrain from shouting out. The man had turned back toward the car. His reflection was in the window. Quickly, Mac hit pause. Then, he used the video enhancement software to zoom in and clear up the reflection.

He hit print. He had the thug in hard copy. He also made a printout of the car's full license plate. New York plates. YJ67C4.

_We're gonna get him, Lindsey_.

Flack was right- his coffee was damn good. Danny was impressed with how strong it was…usually everyone in the office complained about his, and his was mild compared to the lava soap-strength stuff that Don Flack made.

Danny felt only a little better, though. He could think of a million and one coffee jokes that Lindsey could make. And she wasn't there to do it. He sighed. Danny went down to the A/V lab to see if Mac had come up with anything.

He met Mac in the hall. "Mac. What did you-"

"Full license plate and a profile," Mac responded, cutting him off. "I'm going to run this sketch through the database and have Don put it out on the media wire, see if anyone knows who this is."

"Sweet," Danny said approvingly. "Great. That'll take a while." He looked at Mac. "Mac, I can't sit here. It's driving me crazy. I gotta know how Lindsey's doing."

"Danny, I'm sure nothing's changed," Mac said patiently. "I need you here when the phones start ringing or the computer hands us this guy."

As much has he hated to admit it, Danny knew Mac was right. He couldn't do anything for Lindsey sitting there, anyway. "All right. But a call comes in, I want first crack at the guy."

Mac nodded. "Wouldn't have it any other way. I'm gonna have Don run this plate."

"Tell Flack his coffee's worth four horseshoes at least," Danny said, downing his second cup.

"I'll let him know," Mac replied. "Maybe you oughta take it easy on the caffeine?"

"Mac," Danny replied, "I don't function unless I've had caffeine. Right now, I'm a well-oiled machine." He headed into the break room for a third cup.

Mac watched him go. "Even well-oiled machines break down sometimes," he said softly.


	6. Do You Love Her?

**Oooh! The plot thickens! Fair warning- I don't really know much about forensics (and I've only seen, oh, seven episodes of CSI:NY) but I'll do my best when it comes to the evidence. If you know something I don't, feel free to point it out in a review, and I'll file it away for future reference!**

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**Chapter Six: Do You Love Her?**

Don Flack was ecstatic. "I got the car! I cross-checked it with the list we printed this morning. It's registered to a Nick Daley; it was reported stolen two days ago. And the best part is Daley saw who swiped it!"

"Is it our guy?" Mac asked him. From the break room, on his second pot of coffee, Danny poked his head out, "Did we get him?"

"Daley described one of them as a blonde guy that was about two inches taller than he was. Daley's six foot one!"

"We got a name?" Danny asked his friend.

Flack nodded. "Teddy Jorgen."

"Prints ran through AFIS confirm it," Stella said, tapping a printout as she came into the room. "He's a petty thief."

"Wonder what would promote him to assault and kidnapping?" Flack wondered. He handed Danny a piece of paper. "Address."

Danny clapped Flack on the back. "Yes! Let's go bring him in!"

Flack glanced at Danny. Danny caught the look of doubt in his eye. Not wanting to hash this out in front of Mac, Danny grabbed Flack by the jacket and hauled him into a vacant office.

"What's this?" Flack asked, shrugging out of Danny's grip.

"I saw that look," Danny accused. "You don't think I can go over to that guy's apartment without ripping his head off!"

"You're into your second pot of coffee. That stuff's strong enough to fuel a freakin' Hummer! You've been on edge all morning," Flack ticked off the reasons on his fingers. "So yeah. I'm worried that you won't be objective." He lowered his voice and turned to his friend. "As your friend, I want a straight answer," he said. He looked at Danny.

Danny nodded. "What?"

"Do you love her?"

Danny opened his mouth to protest, then shrugged. "To hell with it. Yeah, Flack. Yeah, I do."

Flack nodded. "Okay. I just wanted to be sure." He grinned. "Not that you two keep it a secret."

"Shut up, Flack," Danny replied. "Are you gonna let me go after this guy or not?"

Flack considered it. "Get your stuff."

A knock on the door made Danny jump. "Hey! If you're done with the male bonding in there…" Mac's voice called.

Flack and Danny smiled.

"Boy, he knows how to ruin a moment, doesn't he," Flack said.


	7. Teddy Jorgen

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of CSI:NY; they belong to CBS.**

**Thanks SO much for the reviews- they really DO make my day! I'm sorry the chapters are still so short, but it was the way I blocked the story out.**

**Flack's comment about horseshoes and coffee comes from the movie "Hidalgo" and it's one of my favorites!**

**For any Flack fans out there, there's a lot of him in this chapter and the next!**

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**Chapter 7: Teddy Jorgen**

"Nice digs," Danny said, glancing up at the decrepit building that Flack had just pulled up next to.

The building looked like it'd been built in the sixties. The fire escape was rusted, and Danny bet if anyone bigger than Paris Hilton tried to use it, it would crash into the alley.

"Yuck," Flack said. "This place screams, 'Evict us and blow this place to hell!'"

"Jorgen's a classy guy," Danny said. He tried the door handle on the main door, and it came off in his hands. "Love the security." He attempted to put the handle back on, but gave up after two tries. He tossed it in the small bush next to the door.

"Hey, it makes my job easier," Flack said. He started up the stairs. "Good thing there's only four floors. I'd hate to go any higher than that on these damn things." His foot went through a board. "Damn! Danny, watch that."

"Thanks," Danny said, avoiding the broken stair. He pointed. "Hey. 3F. That's Jorgen's."

"I bet he runs," Flack muttered.

"What?"

"Seems to be the pattern," Flack replied simply. "I knock on bad guy's door, bad guy jumps." He banged on Jorgen's door. "Teddy Jorgen! NYPD! Open up!"

"Here. My turn," Danny said. He aimed and planted his boot in Teddy Jorgen's door. The door fell away easily. He looked at Flack.

Flack shrugged. "It was probably unlocked."

"My way was more fun," Danny said. "Teddy Jorgen!" Carefully, he and Flack picked their way through the apartment, clearing each room. They met in the dilapidated kitchen.

"Anything?" Flack asked.

Danny shook his head. "Nothing. Guy's not a very personal type guy. No pictures, not even a computer. And the apartment's decorated in early Demolition."

Flack laughed.

"You boys looking for Theodore?"

Flack and Danny turned to see an older woman standing in the hallway behind them. She only glanced at the caved-in door, and didn't seem too surprised.

"Yes, ma'am," Danny said, turning on his New York charm. "Do you know where we might find him?"

"You could try the Internet café down the street," she suggested. "Theodore doesn't have a computer, as you may have noticed."

"Thank you," Danny said, as he and Flack turned to go. Flack glanced back at the door. "We'll get someone around to fixing that," he said.

She shrugged. "Honey, you just made an improvement. That boy doesn't take care of this place. It's a wonder he can pay rent."

"Does Ted-Theodore- have a job?" Flack queried.

"He's never mentioned one," she replied. "His friend might help him out, though."

Danny and Flack exchanged looks. "Friend?"

"Oh, yes. He doesn't seem very friendly. I don't know why Theodore associates with him." There was a yell from inside her apartment. "Ethel! Where's the damned remote?"

Ethel sighed. "It was nice talking to you boys." She went back into her apartment hollering, "It's probably under your fat behind!" The door slammed shut.

Danny joined Flack in the hallway. "Internet café?"

"Good a lead as any," Flack said. "I'll head there. See if you can talk to Ethel, get a description of the friend."

"Oh, that's low," Danny replied. "You just don't want to get in the middle between that woman and her husband."

Flack grinned. "Damn right. That's a job for someone with your people skills."

Danny closed his eyes and listened to the loud arguing from the other side of the apartment door. "Maybe you better take my gun," he said.


	8. They Always Run

**Chapter Eight: They Always Run**

Flack put in a call to Mac to apprise him of the new lead. "Guy doesn't have any money, but hasn't gotten evicted yet. Someone's paying."

"Danny's following up on Jorgen's friend?"

"Yeah," Flack said. "I'm en route to the Internet café, see if Jorgen's there." His voice took on a serious tone. "We heard anything about Lindsey?"

"No," Mac said. "She's still stable, but still out."

Flack nodded. "Thanks." He hung up. He was standing in the doorway of the small Internet café. He stepped inside. It smelled of coffee, and wasn't busy at all. There were ten computers, and three were occupied. Two girls…and a blonde male.

Flack walked slowly up behind him. "Teddy Jorgen?" he asked.

The blonde turned. "Yeah?" He was sporting two deep scratches across his nose.

_Bingo!_ Flack flashed his badge. "NYPD. Mind if I ask you a couple questions?"

Teddy Jorgen shoved him backwards and took off running.

Flack swore. "They _always_ run." Cursing, he picked himself off the floor and took off after him.

Jorgen was fast. Flack was faster. About half a block away, Flack floored the guy into the cement with a well-aimed tackle. Flack yanked his gun from his holster and pressed the barrel into Jorgen's back. "Don't you move, damn it," he said.

Someone whistled. "Shoulda went into the NFL, Flack," Danny Messer said approvingly. "And you won your bet."

"Yeah," Flack hauled Jorgen to his feet, "I definitely missed my calling." The two detectives walked a protesting Jorgen back to their car.

"I want my lawyer," Jorgen said.

"Yeah, yeah, that's what they all say," Flack said, starting the vehicle.

"You wanna drop me at the hospital?" Danny asked. "I want to see how Lindsey's doing."

Flack didn't even argue. Ten minutes later, Danny was in the elevator, riding up to her room.

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**Danny-Lindsay in the next chapter! And it's one of those "Awwwww..." chapters... stay tuned!**


	9. Get One, Lose One

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of CSI:NY; they belong to CBS.**

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**Chapter Nine: Get One, Lose One**

Lindsey was still unconscious. Danny flipped through her chart. She had definitely been hit with something hard, right at the base of the skull. Not hard enough to kill her. But enough to make it hurt like hell and keep her out.

"We got the guy, Montana," Danny told her, taking her hand. "We got him." He sat down in his chair again. A stray hair had fallen into Lindsey's eye. Danny smoothed it away. "He took off running. Don tackled him like he played for the Jets or something. It was crazy." He smiled. "You're missing all the action."

_She might never wake up_. The realization hit him like a Mack truck. Danny tried to push the impossible future from his mind, but in all reality, it was a possibility. He squeezed her hand. "You listen to me," he said. "I don't want to come to work every morning and _not_ see your beautiful face. So you're gonna make it, okay, Montana? You're stubborn as a freakin' Montana…mountain goat, or whatever you guys have out there. You're _not_ gonna spend the rest of your life here. You're too damn stubborn to go out without a fight. You're gonna wake up, take like a week of sick leave, and then come back to work and argue with me. Got it, Montana?"

Lindsey, of course, didn't reply. But that was okay. Because if she would've woken up, she'd have seen Danny Messer-the big, tough detective - with tears in his eyes.

"You can't leave me, Montana," Danny told her. "Don't you even think about it."

His cell phone buzzed on vibrate. He checked it. It was Mac. Danny stood up, and with one last, long glance at Lindsey, he left the room to answer his boss's call.

Mac called Danny back to the office. He stood outside the interrogation room, watching Flack try to get some answers before the lawyer got there. Mac rolled his eyes.

"Mac? What've we got?" Danny came up behind his boss.

"Jorgen definitely took Lindsey. He's denying it, of course, even though we've got him on the damn surveillance tape," Mac explained. He looked tired. It was only five p.m., but the whole day had taken a lot out of everyone.

"I talked with the neighbor lady. She gave me the name of Teddy Jorgen's buddy that was helping him pay rent." Danny pulled a notebook from his pocket. "Gregory Gimatto."

Mac's eyes narrowed. "Why in the hell does that name sound familiar?"

Danny shrugged. "I'll go run it through the database. If he's got so much as a parking ticket, we'll know about it." Danny headed for one of the computers, Mac right behind him. Danny typed in the name. G-R-E-G-O-R-Y J-"

"Danny…Gimatto starts with a 'G'," Mac clarified.

Embarrassed, Danny quickly typed in the rest of the name. "You didn't hire me for my spelling skills," he reminded Mac. "You hired me for my keenly honed intuition and my wit."

"It wasn't for your wit," Mac replied, reading the screen. "That's why his name sounds familiar." Mac tapped the screen.

"Wait…I remember that one." Danny said. "I mean, I wasn't with the lab, then, but I know about the case. That was what, six years ago?"

"Five."

"Five," Danny said. "That was the one where he got busted for what…drug trafficking?"

"And a small assault and battery charge on the side," Mac added.

"Right! Yeah…and he got however long in prison..."

"Fifteen years."

"Good behavior? 'S that why he's out?" Danny guessed. He looked down the page. "Yup. Good behavior. Okay, anyway…so Gimatto's ticked at the crime lab. He runs into Jorgen one day on the street…"

"Offers to help him out financially if he sends us a message," Mac continued.

"So Jorgen grabs Lindsey. They work her over, then drop her off outside our door!" Danny finished. "Yes! Got him!"

Flack chose that moment to come outside. "I'm not getting anywhere. Tell me you got something."

"Ask him about his good friend Gregory Gimatto," Danny suggested.

There was a loud clang from inside the interrogation room. Flack, Mac, and Danny all exchanged looks.

"You don't think…" Flack whipped open the door.

Jorgen was on the floor. He was clutching at his chest. Flack groaned as he spotted the pen he used to take notes clutched in Jorgen's hand. Blood was starting to pool on the floor. Flack shrugged off his jacket and pressed it to the wound.

"Mac!" Flack yelled. "Mac, he just tried to off himself!"

"Call 911," Mac told Danny as he rushed inside the room.


	10. Found the Car

**Chapter Ten: Found the Car**

"How is he?" Sheldon asked Mac a few hours later.

"Stable. Luckily, he didn't hit anything critical." Mac was pacing the floor. "When he wakes up, Flack's gonna grill him again."

"Why would he try to kill himself?" Stella asked.

"Simple. If he's dead, Gimatto can't kill him," Danny pointed out.

"We have to find whoever was driving that car," Stella said, tapping the photo of the car. "If Jorgen wasn't going to talk before, he sure as hell won't talk to us now. He's scared."

"We find the driver, we tie Gimatto to the crime," Danny said.

"Let's go over what we know." Mac suggested. "We know Gimatto's blaming us for busting him seven years ago. That's fairly evident by the fact that he dropped Lindsay on our doorstep. We know he got out on good behavior. We know he got Jorgen and someone else to do his dirty work. Jorgen grabbed Lindsey. He worked her over, then dropped her outside the building. We know Gimatto's got some connections, that's how he got the money to pay Jorgen's rent fresh out of prison. And since Jorgen tried to off himself, apparently Gimatto threatened him. That leaves us with two potential connections to Gimatto- the driver of the car…and Lindsey Monroe."

"We need a guard at Lindsey's door," Danny said immediately.

"I'll put Flack on it," Mac said. "We also have to find the car."

Just then, Flack came into the room. "Guess what? I got your car."

Mac snapped his fingers at Stella and Danny. "Go process that car."

Stella and Danny got the location from Flack and were gone. Mac turned to the homicide detective. "Flack, we need security detail on Lindsey round the clock."

"You think Gimatto's gonna try to get to her?" Flack asked.

Mac thought of Teddy Jorgen. "Yeah."

Stella met up with several NYPD officers in an alleyway on the other side of the city. The Stratus had been partially buried under a compost heap.

"Someone doesn't know how to play hide and seek," Danny said. "The river's a better place to get rid of stuff."

"Good thing," Stella said. "Water wipes things too clean."

"It's the Hudson," Danny pointed out. "Nothing about that body of water is clean."

Stella rolled her eyes. "Here." She tossed Danny a pair of latex gloves. "Go to it."

Danny crawled into the backseat. Just glancing around, he spotted several different hairs and spots. "Crime scene investigator's heaven," he said, pulling out his kit. The first thing he spotted was a long auburn hair on the seat belt buckle. _From when Lindsey was thrown in the back?_ He grabbed it with a tweezers and filed it away. Next, he spotted spots of dried blood. Picking it up as best he could, he put the swab in a container. "How's it up there, Stella?"

Stella replied, "Fingerprints on the steering wheel. If our driver had a record, we'll know about it."

"Fantastic. Hopefully we find him before Gimatto realizes it. Testimony from that guy can nail Gimatto to the wall." The thought made Danny smile. _We're that much closer._


	11. New Developments

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of CSI:NY; they belong to CBS**

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**Chapter Eleven:** **New Developments**

Flack watched Lindsey through the window. She was still out. He turned to the uniform next to him. "I'll be right back."

"Sure thing." Flack stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. He took a seat next to Lindsey.

"Heya, Monroe." He paused to catch his breath. "It's Flack. Look, I know you and Danny got a lot to work through. He likes you. A lot. And although you try to deny it, I'm pretty sure you like him back. So…look, Danny's my best friend. He's hurting right now. If Mac wasn't making him work on your case, he'd be sitting here right next to you. But, uh, he's always thinking about you and how you're doing." Flack squeezed Lindsey's arm. "When you wake up," he said, "first thing you do is tell Danny exactly why it is you can't be with him. Then make up some apology, and then," here Flack chuckled, "then kiss him or something."

He stood up and walked to the door.

"I…never pegged you….for the Kodak moment type," a quiet voice said behind him.

Flack turned around. Lindsey Monroe had her eyes open, watching him.

"Hey, Montana," Flack said, coming over to her.

"Not you too," Lindsey groaned, but then she smiled. "Hi, Flack."

"I'm gonna go tell a nurse you're awake. Then I want to ask you some questions, all right?"

Lindsey nodded. "Sure."

Flack smiled. "Nice to see you again, Lindsey." He left the room. After telling a nurse that Lindsey was awake, he put in a phone call to Mac Taylor.

"Mac? It's Flack. Lindsey's awake."

Stella and Danny returned to the lab a half hour later. Mac met them at the door. "Find anything?"

"Found a lot," Danny replied, holding up his forensic kit. "Can't wait to start processing it."

"Before you guys head off…" Mac looked at Danny. "Lindsey's awake."

Danny's face lit up. "Really? Is she okay? What does she remember?" he asked, rapid-fire. He left one question unasked, because he knew what Mac would say: _Can I go see her?_

"Flack's talking to her right now. Go process that car, find our other perp." Mac left his own thing unsaid: _After you do that, you can go see Lindsey_.

Danny got the message anyway. As he headed down the hall toward the lap, Mac heard him yell something out. He sounded really happy about it, whatever it was.

Around an hour later, Danny waved a printout in Mac's face. "The guy driving the car was Vic Malone. Two priors for assault…and get this," Danny said, his face growing serious, "He's real good friends with Gimatto- they met in prison. Malone got out two months after Gimatto got in. Plenty of time to work this whole thing out."

"He probably got Malone to case the lab," Mac mused. "Gimatto worked with his connections to get a cash fund going. He gets out, tells Vic they need a guy to pin it on. They find Teddy, start paying his rent. When the time comes, Gimatto sends Vic and Teddy to grab Lindsey."

"Now if we could prove it," Danny said.

"We find Vic Malone, we got Gimatto."

"Mac!"

Mac turned to see Stella coming toward them. "Mac, homicide just called. They just pulled a body from the Hudson."

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**A/N: Much as I hate to do it to you fine reviewers (YOU MAKE MY DAY :)!), I'm going to have to leave you at this point over the holidays...consider this my Christmas vacation! Happy Holidays to everyone!**


	12. A Kink in the Case

**A/N: Hello again! I decided that I couldn't leave everyone completely hanging, because the party's just getting started!**

**Yes, I know you're thinking "THIS is a chapter?" but I didn't want to put it in with the next chapter or the one before. It's the way I operate...I'm random like that.**

**Hope everyone is having a super holiday!**

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**Chapter Twelve: A Kink in the Case**

The New York CSIs met Flack down at the river, just below the Brooklyn Bridge. Mac flashed his badge, and he and Danny went over to where the medical examiner was just about to zip the body bag closed. But first, he showed the person inside to the two men.

Danny swore. He threw his arms into the air in frustration. In fact, he nearly hit Stella.

"Who is it?" Stella asked, expertly dodging Danny's arm.

Mac turned to Stella. "That's Vic Malone."


	13. Lindsey's Story

**Disclaimer:** **I don't own the characters of CSI:NY; they belong to CBS.**

**Author's Note: This chapter happens right about mid chapter eleven.**

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**Chapter Thirteen: Lindsey's Story**

The nurse left Lindsey's room, giving her strict orders to keep hydrated and try to eat something. "Don't worry," Flack said, grinning at Lindsey, "I'll hound her."

Lindsey eyed the carton of pudding disdainfully. "What I wouldn't give for a slab of Angus beef right now. They really expect me to eat this…tapioca?"

"I'll see if I can't sneak a steak in later," Flack said. He flipped open his notebook. "Ready?"

Lindsey took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Yeah. Yes. Let's do this."

"Let's start with last night. What do you remember?"

Lindsey thought about it. "I remember arguing with Danny, he called me Montana again. I forgave him, though. I remember saying I'd bring breakfast. I took the elevator down, went out the front door. This car pulled up…a green one. Guy got outta the back seat, asked me the fastest way downtown. I told him I was still pretty new to New York, didn't know it really well. I gave him a guess. He told me okay, headed back for the car…" Lindsey's face grew paler, remembering.

Flack spoke up, "Just take your time, okay?"

She nodded. "I'm good. I turned to hail a cab. Then he grabbed my purse. I reacted, scratched him across the face. He got upset with that. The guy picked me up like I was a sack of potatoes and threw me into the back of the car. I hit my head on the seatbelt thing…"

It was coming to her now.

_"Let's go, damn it!" the driver barked at the guy who'd thrown her in._

_Lindsey winced as her fingers touched the gash above her eye. She tried to get out the other door, but it was locked. She heard the door slam, and someone got in next to her. "Drive, Vic!"_

_Vic, the driver, floored the car and it peeled away. _

_"What the hell do you want?" Lindsey demanded to know._

_"Friend of ours wants to send a message," the guy sitting next to her said. "We're gonna pay him a visit."_

_"Message? For what?"_

_He backhanded her. Her hand flew to her face in surprise. "You and your labcoat buddies put a friend of ours away. He's not real happy, y'know?"_

_The car made a turn, now headed for Staten Island. Lindsey watched, memorizing the scenery so she could find the place later, hopefully with a forensic kit in hand. _

_They pulled up in front a decrepit looking storage unit; the kind people put their boats and campers in on the off season. The guy in the back with her grabbed Lindsey's arm and yanked her from the car. The door to the unit opened, and someone was standing there. He had short dark hair and a sickening grin on his face. Lindsey noted a scar that ran from the end of his nose to almost his chin. "Nice work, boys. She's beautiful."_

_"Glad you approve," Lindsey bit back. He responded by slapping her across the face. Briefly, she wondered what Danny would do if he knew this jerk had just hit a lady. They dragged her inside and threw her on the floor. She hit hard, wincing as pain shot down her arm- she'd landed on her funny bone. "Guys know how to treat a girl," she said. This earned her another hit, but this time, it was a boot in her stomach. She gasped in pain._

_"This ought to get their attention, dontcha think?" the dark haired man said, slamming a foot into her ribs. She gasped for breath, and involuntarily cried out._

_Mercifully, blackness took her before the next blow came._

Flack had Lindsey's hand in his. She was near tears. "That's it. That's what I remember."

"That's perfect. Could you recognize the guy that met you at the garage if we had a picture?"

Lindsey thought of the sadistic grin and nodded firmly. "Absolutely."

Flack nodded. "Great. Lindsey, you've been a huge help." His cell phone rang just then. He picked it up, ignoring the dirty looks he was getting from the nursing staff. "Flack…when? Okay, I'll be there."

He turned to Lindsey. "They just pulled a guy from the river." He cocked a thumb at the officer outside the door. "Jack's gonna keep an eye on you."

Lindsey nodded. "Be careful, Flack."

He smiled. "Get some rest. Eat your pudding."

She responded by childishly sticking her tongue out at him. Flack waved a finger at her. "Eat." Lindsey watched him leave.

She eyed the pudding like it might turn into the Stay-Puft marshmallow man, then reached for her plastic spoon.


	14. Yet Another Kink

**Happy Holidays to everyone, I absolutely LOVED your reviews.**

**Someone asked if Danny was going to go all "white knight?" Well...-grins- I'd say it's a pretty good bet!**

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**Chapter Fourteen: Yet Another Kink**

"That's Malone?" Flack asked, pointing to the body. Mac confirmed it.

"That means we've only got one solid lead."

"How's Lindsey doing?" Stella asked.

"Almost back up to par. She was supposed to eat her pudding." Flack said. He chuckled. "I think she thought it was going to attack her or something."

At that moment, a feeling struck Danny like a brick in the pit of his stomach. _Lindsey!_ "We have to get back to the hospital. Now."

"Why?" Stella asked.

"I left her with a uniform, Danny," Flack tried to reassure him.

He shook his head. "No. No. Something ain't right." When no one moved, Danny looked pleadingly at Flack. "Flack?" He stared at his co-workers. "Look, I can't explain it, but somethin' isn't right."

Flack exchanged a glance with Mac. Mac was now starting to get the same look as Danny. "Hospital. Now."

Flack ran for his car, Danny behind him. Stella and Mac following. Once Danny was in, Flack hit the lights and floored the gas.

On the drive there, he glanced over at Danny. His friend was tight-lipped, and his breath came short. He was panicking. "Danny. It's okay. Jack's a capable guy. He knows we're the only people that're supposed to visit her."

Danny could only shake his head. Something was very, very wrong. _Montana, we're coming…_

Flack threw the car into park at the hospital, and he and Danny ran inside and to the ER. The two detectives skidded down the hall to her room. Jack was still there. Danny almost breathed easier, until he realized that Lindsey's bed was empty. "Jack?" Flack asked. "Where is she?"

Jack seemed unconcerned. "A doctor just came by to take her for some tests." As he saw Mac and Stella come up behind Flack and Danny, he looked at Flack. "What's going on?"

"What did this doctor look like?" Flack asked, cursing himself for not getting a photo of Gimatto sooner.

"He was about my height. Dark brown hair. Freak scar, though. Started at his nose, went all the way to his chin."

Now Flack swore aloud, and Danny went white.

"We'll split up," Mac instructed. "Stella, tell everyone that nonessential people need to get out of the hallways on all floors. And see if you can get into security and check the elevators."

"On it," Stella agreed, rushing to the nurse's station.

"Floor by floor sweep," Mac instructed. Flack, Danny, and Jack from NYPD nodded. "Where would you go?"

"Exits," Flack said.

"Roof," Danny said.

"Go!" Mac pointed. Flack and Danny took off.


	15. Going After Montana

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of CSI:NY; they belong to CBS.**

**This is the end, folks! Will Danny get to Lindsey in time? Will he confess that he loves her? And what will Mac have to say about the whole thing?**

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**Chapter Fifteen: Going After Montana**

Danny sprinted up the stairs. He cursed New York for building everything so damn tall. He was in pretty good shape; however, the stress of the past few days had really sapped his energy. He glanced at the number on the door he'd passed. Eighteen. Seven more floors, then the roof. He cursed their bad luck. _Hang on, Lindsey! We're coming for you!_

"I got them!" Stella called, dialing Mac's phone. "Mac!" she said when he answered. "They're in the elevator, heading for the twenty-fifth floor!"

"Danny's closest!" Mac replied. Mac was on the fifth floor, doing a room by room check. With Stella's call, he now headed for the elevators.

Danny picked his phone up. "Mac?"

"Headed for the twenty-fifth floor," Mac's voice replied.

"Almost there," Danny told him. He'd just passed 23. The young detective stopped only for a moment to catch his breath, then he was on it again. The door to 25 flashed in front of him, and Danny whipped open the door. He was standing at one end of a very long hallway. And way down at the other end, he saw them.

Gimatto. He had Lindsey by the arm. "Gimatto!" Danny yelled.

The thug turned. Lindsey's eyes lit up. "Danny?"

Gimatto pulled out a small gun and fired at Danny. "Whoa!" Danny yelled, diving out of the way. The bullet shattered the glass divider behind him. When Danny looked up, they were gone, but there really was only one place for them to go. Danny sprinted the hallway and threw open the roof access door.

The wind whipped his tie across his face as he stepped onto the roof. He quickly shed it, watched it fly away into the New York City skyline, and drew his gun. Carefully, he made his way around the air conditioning units, electrical breaker boxes and fans, searching for Gimatto and Lindsey.

He finally spotted them. They were standing near the west edge of the roof. Gimatto pushed Lindsey forward. "Gimatto!" Danny yelled._ Dear God, don't let him throw her off!_

The suspect pulled Lindsey in front of him and held the gun just under her chin. "I'll shoot her!" he threatened.

At that moment, Danny felt a feeling he hadn't felt in a very, very long time. He'd had the beginnings of it all day, and now it blew up inside of him.

Sheer terror. "Drop it, Gimatto, the game's over!" he yelled, knowing it wouldn't do any good.

"I'm a dead man, anyway, so what's it matter?" Gimatto yelled back. He gripped Lindsey's arm tighter, making her cry out. Danny was furious. He had no idea what to do. He wasn't talking Gimatto out of this one.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, Danny saw him. Flack. Slowly moving up behind Gimatto and Lindsey. "Yeah, but she's a detective," Danny yelled over the wind. "And that's way worse than two jailhouse junkies!"

Flack was right behind him now.

Lindsey chose that moment to grab Gimatto's gun hand and shove it down.

For Danny, the next few seconds happened very, very slowly. Lindsey scrambled sideways. Flack charged Gimatto, wrestling him to the gravel and wrenching the gun from his hands, but not before Gimatto got off one shot...

...that clanged harmlessly into an air conditioning unit. Flack tossed the gun away and yanked Gimatto's hand behind him.

Danny ran over to Lindsey, who was lying on the ground. She looked very pale. The thin hospital gown did little to protect her up here. Danny shed his suit jacket and helped her put it on. "Lindsey…Montana? Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

She could only shake her head. "I'm okay, Danny. I'm okay." She glanced into his blue eyes. Her own filled with tears. "I'm okay…" The events of the day took their toll on her, and she collapsed into his arms. Danny held her as Flack cuffed Gimatto, who was fighting him. "Stop that!" Flack barked. "I would love nothing more than a reason to shoot you. I would rather have you bleed out here, but it'd mean I'd end up working fast food." He glanced over at Danny. "She okay?" he yelled over the wind.

Danny nodded. He held Lindsey tighter, like he'd never let go.

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Back inside the building, a nurse checked Lindsey over once more and pronounced her just fine, if not a little tired. Stella, Mac, Flack and Danny were standing around her bed.

"Nice to have you back," Stella said. "You had us worried."

"I wasn't," Danny lied through his teeth.

Lindsey raised her eyebrows. "Really? Somehow I doubt that."

"All right, maybe a little. But I knew you could take care of yourself. You're a Montana girl." Danny said, smiling.

"As soon as we can, we're gonna put Gimatto behind bars again," Mac informed her.

"Just make sure he stays there," Lindsey said. "Thanks."

Mac nodded, a silent promise to her.

Stella and Flack exchanged looks. "Yup. Right. Well, we're gonna go find some edible food. Lindsey, you want anything?"

"Something with some substance. _Not_ pudding. I could really go for a burger right now," Lindsey confessed.

"We'll see what we can finagle," Stella agreed. The two of them left the room, leaving Mac, Danny and Lindsey. Danny glanced over at Mac.

Mac got the not-so-subtle hint. "I think I'll have a chat with Gimatto. And I'll have some things to discuss with you two later," he said pointedly to Danny.

Danny snapped him another salute. "Got it, boss."

Shaking his head, Mac left the room, closing the door behind him. This chain of events just made life...well, interesting.

Danny sat down next to Lindsey. "Can I get you something?"

She shook her head. "No. I'm okay."

"Good. Good." He shifted in his chair, touched the end of his fingers together, dropped them, wrung them together. Tapped them on the chair arms.

_What's with him? _Lindsey raised an eyebrow. "What?" she said. "Spill, Messer."

"These past two days have been hell," Danny confessed. "I mean, every second since they brought you in here, this is the only place I've wanted to be. Right here. Right next to you."

He paused. "Go on," Lindsey said.

"Montana…Lindsey," he amended, "I know you said you had some things you needed to work out before we….well, before anything else. But I came this close-" here he held his thumb and index finger an inch apart- "to losing you. And it made me realize that I would not be able to spend my life without you."

Lindsey turned a visible shade of red. "So…what are you saying, exactly, Messer?"

He chuckled. "Oh, I think you know _exactly_ what I'm saying." He turned serious again. "I'll wait till hell freezes over for you, Lindsey. But I was sorta hoping I wouldn't have to wait that long."

Lindsey nodded. "You know…when I was getting worked over in that garage," she said, "I was thinking about you. And how…how I might not get to hear you call me 'Montana' again, or how I wouldn't get to ever argue with you again…or that I might never see those blue eyes again." She smiled sadly. "But I don't know if you can handle me. I have things to work out, and there might be times when…"

"I'll be there. Or, I'll give you space. Whatever you want." Danny swore. "You don't need to handle whatever is in your past alone."

There was silence. Then, Lindsey reached over and took Danny's hand. She gave it a squeeze. "Okay."

Danny smiled. "Okay? Really? You're sure?"

She nodded. "Yes. Absolutely." She smiled. "Boy, Mac will have a coronary."

Danny stood and planted a kiss on her forehead. She closed her eyes, savoring the moment. When he pulled up and grinned at her, she smiled.

"Good thing we're in a hospital."

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**A/N: And this is the end of the story. I want to thank EVERYONE that reviewed, I know I've said it a bunch, but they SERIOUSLY made my day! You've made this first time submitter VERY happy.**

**(For anyone who's been holding their breath since chapter 14...you can let it out now. :)**

**Now...there IS a sequel in the works...anyone interested?**


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